Heart valve surgery

Heart, section through the middle — The interior of the heart is composed of valves, chambers, and associated vessels.

Also known as: Valve replacement, Valve repair or Heart valve prosthesis

Definition

Heart valve surgery is used to repair or replace diseased heart valves.

Blood that flows between different chambers of your heart must flow through a heart valve. Blood that flows out of your heart into large arteries must flow through a heart valve.

These valves open up enough so that blood can flow through. They then close, keeping blood from flowing backward.

There are four valves in your heart:

Aortic valve
Mitral valve
Tricuspid valve
Pulmonary valve

Description

Before your surgery you will receive general anesthesia. You will be asleep and unable to feel pain.

In open surgery, the surgeon makes a large surgical cut in your breastbone to reach the heart and aorta. Most people are connected to a heart-lung bypass machine or bypass pump. Your heart is stopped while you are connected to this machine. This machine does the work of your heart while your heart is stopped.

Minimally invasive valve surgery is done through much smaller cuts than open surgery. There are several different techniques used:

Laparoscopy or endoscopy
Percutaneous surgery (through the skin)
Robot-assisted surgery

If your surgeon can cover your aortic valve, you may have:

Ring annuloplasty -- The surgeon repairs the ring-like part around the valve by sewing a ring of metal, cloth, or tissue around the valve.
Valve repair -- The surgeon trims, shapes, or rebuilds one or more of the leaflets of the valve. The leaflets are flaps that open and close the valve.

If your valve is too damaged, you will need a new valve. This is called valve replacement surgery. Your surgeon will remove your valve and put a new one into place. There are two main types of new valves:

Mechanical -- made of man-made materials, such as cloth, metal (stainless steel or titanium), or ceramic. These valves last the longest, but you will need to take blood-thinning medicine, such as warfarin (Coumadin) or aspirin, for the rest of your life.
Biological -- made of human or animal tissue. These valves last 12 - 15 years, but you may not need to take blood thinners for life.

For more detailed information, see:

Why the Procedure Is Performed

You may need surgery if your valve does not work properly.

A valve that does not close all the way will allow blood to leak backwards. This is called regurgitation.
A valve that does not open fully will restrict blood flow. This is called stenosis.

You may need heart valve surgery for these reasons:

Changes in your heart valve are causing major heart symptoms, such as chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, fainting spells (syncope), or heart failure.
Tests show that the changes in your heart valve are beginning to seriously affect your heart function.
Your doctor wants to replace or repair your heart valve at the same time as you are having open heart surgery for another reason.
Your heart valve has been damaged by infection of the heart valve (endocarditis).
You have received a new heart valve in the past, and it is not working well, or you have other problems such as blood clots, infection, or bleeding.

Some of the heart valve problems treated with surgery are:

Risks

The risks for any anesthesia include:

Problems breathing
Reactions to medications

The risks for any surgery include:

Bleeding
Blood clots in the legs that may travel to the lungs
Infection, including in the lungs, kidneys, bladder, chest, or heart valves

The risks for cardiac surgery include:

Death
Heart attack
Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
Kidney failure
Post-pericardiotomy syndrome -- low-grade fever and chest pain that can last for up to 6 months
Stroke
Temporary confusion after surgery due to the heart-lung machine

It is very important to take steps to prevent valve infections. You may need to take antibiotics before dental work and other invasive procedures.

Before the Procedure

For more information, see:

After the Procedure

For more information, see:

The average hospital stay is 5 - 7 days. Complete recovery will take a few weeks to several months, depending on your health before surgery.

Outlook (Prognosis)

The success rate of heart valve surgery is high. The operation can relieve your symptoms and prolong your life.

Mechanical heart valves do not often fail. Artificial valves last an average of 8 - 20 years, depending on the type of valve. However, blood clots can develop on these valvves. If a blood clot forms, you may have a stroke. Bleeding can occur, but this is rare.

The clicking of mechanical heart valves may be heard in the chest. This is normal.

References

Fullerton DA, Harken AH. Acquired heart disease: valvular. In: Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 62.

Otto CM, Bonow RO. Valvular heart disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Zipes DP, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 62.

Bonow RO, Carabello BA, Chatterjee K, de Leon AC Jr., Faxon DP, Freed MD, et al; 2006 Writing Committee Members; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force. 2008 Focused update incorporated into the ACC/AHA 2006 guidelines for the management of patiens with valvular heart disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Revise the 1998 Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease): endorsed by the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Circulation. 2008;118:e523-e661.

Review date:: May 17, 2010
Reviewed by:: Shabir Bhimji, MD, PhD, Specializing in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland, TX. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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